A Good Yarn

I bought it from Amazon last week and read it to my class today for the first time. The illustrations are really unusual and good, but it’s the story that made us think, and did deeper.

It’s all about a little girl that finds a box of yarn. It is not just any old box of yarn. It’s what seems to be an endless box of yarn. It holds so much yarn the little girl; Annabell is able to knit an entire town sweaters- people, animals, houses, trees, everything! Then the mean archbishop tries to steal it to knit his own clothing… I’ll leave you hanging there.

My kids loved the story and the illustrations. I loved that it opened so many teaching opportunities. Today we inferred about the box and how it could hold so much yarn. Tomorrow we are going to read it again and create a different ending. The next day who knows….

The best part (or so the kids thought) was when I whipped out a skein of yarn and taught them how to “finger crochet.” Some of them caught on pretty quickly, some will be practicing a bit more tomorrow but they all loved it. I gave them each a small ball of yarn in a baggie so now when they have some free time they can “finger crochet.” After we have a few lengths of “finger chain” we will be using it in our measuring unit. Should be fun! I wonder how we can “tie” it into writing workshop….I’ll have to think on that one!

After school tonight we had a meeting on the common core. Oh my some of the negativity coming from that room was quite embarrassing comical. I haven’t heard that much whining questioning in about ten years, about the time the state told us all of our lessons had to be related to PASS (Oklahoma’s version of standards)… Oklahoma will be calling the Common Core standards “Oklahoma C3 Standards” catchy don’t you think? You have to say it with that All State guys voice… you know the commercial…ALL STATE INSURANCE. That’s what I hear when I say Oklahoma C3 Standards… I have no idea why we can’t just call it “Common Core” like everyone else. Then it could sound like the Aflac duck AaaFllack…coommmon core. Yep just sounds better.

Since the meeting was sooooo long my hubby took me and Hadley out to supper, and then to Hobby Lobby! Woo hoo to buy more YARN! Do you think “finger crocheting” is part of the “Oklahoma C3 Standards??” hmmm oh well I’m sure I can make it fit somewhere!

6 comments:

Hi Tammy, Extra Yarn is on my list. It does sound good & fun. I love that you added in that bit about finger crocheting, & want to tell you that at our school several teachers through the years have done some kind of crocheting/knitting/beading with their young students & they believe it helps in student reading. Not sure how, but see if it helps your students focus a little more, etc. And, your comments mirror so many others this Tuesday, & earlier, about the testing & the standards. I like your humor; what else can it be but laughable? Best wishes to you in your new money venture too. It doesn't fit what I need, but I bet others will love it.

OK, I HAVE to have this book - thanks for the lead! We have a knitting club and have to roll the yarn into balls. Guess whom I get to help me with that? My ED kiddos - it seems it's quite therapeutic to roll yarn into balls, something about the texture feels good and the actual act of rolling is calming and relaxing. Pure genius to teach them to finger knit/crochet and then integrate a math piece by measuring . . . . your little craftistas are lucky to have you!!

Oh sure...you share with the whole world!!! But you don't tell me anything!!! Wait...maybe I just wasn't listening. Sounds like a really cute book. I'll be expecting you tomorrow to teach my class to do a bit of finger crocheting! :-) Love ya!